As you all know, the NBA regular season concluded its games last night. With the San Antonio Spurs holding on to the top record all season, they will remain the #1 West seed but will have to settle for #2 overall after losing last night to the Phoenix Suns. The overall #1 seed went to the Chicago Bulls, who put on their best season since the Michael Jordan days with a 62 win season. If the Spurs won last night, there would have been a tie between both leading teams, and a rare feat would have happened, as all tiebreakers would have been useless and there would have been a random draw to determine who holds home court advantage all the way. But, that won’t happen anymore due to the Spurs loss last night, who will end up playing eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies.
Back to the topic, after the Eastern conference was decided as early as Monday night, the Western conference was decided in the final seconds of last night with the Los Angeles Lakers playing what could be the last game in Sacramento vs. the Sacramento Kings, as the Kings may be moving to Anaheim. The Lakers won the game in OT, and claimed 2nd seed to face the New Orleans Hornets, who lost to the Dallas Mavericks last night, hence the Mavs claiming the third seed and will face the sixth-seeded Portland TrailBlazers. The final matchup of the Western conference may be one for the ages, which will feature two of the most athletic and versatile young teams in the league, fourth seeded Oklahoma City Thunder against the Denver Nuggets.
The playoff schedule will be as follows:
Saturday, April 16
Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls Game 1, 10 AM PT/1 PM ET, ESPN/ESPN3D
Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat Game 1, 12:30 PM PT/3:30 PM ET, ABC
Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic Game 1, 4 PM PT/7 PM ET, ESPN
Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks Game 1, 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET, ESPN
Sunday, April 17
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs Game 1, 10 AM PT/1 PM ET, TNT
New Orleans Hornets at L.A. Lakers Game 1, 12:30 PM PT/3:30 PM ET, ABC
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Game 1, 4 PM PT/7 PM ET, TNT
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder Game 1, 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET, TNT
Monday, April 18
Philadelphia 76ers at Miami Heat Game 2, 4 PM PT/7 PM ET, TNT
Indiana Pacers at Chicago Bulls Game 2, 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET, TNT
Tuesday, April 19
New York Knicks at Boston Celtics Game 2, 4 PM PT/7 PM ET, TNT
Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic Game 2, 4:30 PM PT/7:30 PM ET, NBA TV
Portland Trail Blazers at Dallas Mavericks Game 2, 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET, TNT
Wednesday, April 20
Denver Nuggets at Oklahoma City Thunder Game 2, 5 PM PT/7:30 PM ET, TNT
Memphis Grizzlies at San Antonio Spurs Game 2, 5:30 PM PT/8:30 PM ET, NBA TV
New Orleans Hornets at L.A. Lakers Game 2, 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET, TNT
Thursday, April 21
Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers Game 3, 4 PM PT/7 PM ET, NBA TV
Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers Game 3, 5 PM PT/8 PM ET, TNT
Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers Game 3, 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET, TNT
Friday, April 22
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Game 3, 4 PM ET/7 PM PT, ESPN
Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks Game 3, 5 PM ET/8 PM PT, ESPN2/ESPN3D
L.A. Lakers at New Orleans Hornets Game 3, 6:30 PM ET/9:30 PM PT, ESPN
Saturday, April 23
Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers Game 4, 11:30 AM PT/2:30 PM ET, TNT
Dallas Mavericks at Portland Trail Blazers Game 4, 2 PM PT/5 PM ET, TNT
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies Game 3, 4:30 PM PT/7:30 PM ET, ESPN
Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets Game 3, 7 PM PT/10 PM ET, ESPN
Sunday, April 24
Miami Heat at Philadelphia 76ers Game 4, 10 AM PT/1 PM ET, ABC
Boston Celtics at New York Knicks Game 4, 12:30 PM PT/3:30 PM ET, ABC
Orlando Magic at Atlanta Hawks Game 4, 4 PM PT/7 PM ET, TNT
L.A. Lakers at New Orleans Hornets Game 4, 6:30 PM PT/9:30 PM ET, TNT
Monday, April 25
Oklahoma City at Denver, Game 4, 7:30 PM PT/10:30 PM ET, TNT
Times to be determined
San Antonio at Memphis, Game 4
Portland at Dallas (*), Game 5
Tuesday, April 26 (times to be determined)
New York at Boston (*), Game 5
Atlanta at Orlando (*), Game 5
Indiana at Chicago (*), Game 5
New Orleans at LA Lakers (*), Game 5
Wednesday, April 27 (times to be determined)
Philadelphia at Miami (*), Game 5
Memphis at San Antonio (*), Game 5
Denver at Oklahoma City (*), Game 5
Thursday, April 28 (times TBD)
Chicago at Indiana (*), Game 6
Orlando at Atlanta (*), Game 6
LA Lakers at New Orleans (*), Game 6
Dallas at Portland (*), Game 6
Friday, April 29 (times TBD)
Boston at New York (*), Game 6
Miami at Philadelphia (*), Game 6
San Antonio at Memphis (*), Game 6
Oklahoma City at Denver (*), Game 6
Saturday, April 30 (times TBD, games on TNT)
Indiana at Chicago (*), Game 7
Atlanta at Orlando (*), Game 7
New Orleans at LA Lakers (*), Game 7
Portland at Dallas (*), Game 7
Sunday, May 1 (times TBD)
New York at Boston (*), Game 7
Philadelphia at Miami (*), Game 7
Memphis at San Antonio (*), Game 7
Denver at Oklahoma City (*), Game 7
(*)–if necessary
Evan Turner.